KAM produced and sold beginning in 1997 a commercial product for model trains, Train Tools, based on client-server software.

When the deal was announced, Computer Associates executives spoke glowingly of Legent's attractive client-server software.

The market for client-server software, for example, has jumped from $197 million in 1991 to an estimated $5.9 billion this year, according to Forrester Research.

Hewlett-Packard Co is shipping MPower, its client-server software for real-time communication and collaboration, at $100 for the client-side, 80% off its $500 list price, until September 30.

The company attributed its European problems to its sales force's focus on trying to sell client-server software; it was thus diverted from selling mainframe programs.

The initial pact includes client-server software running on HP 9000 Series 800 Unix machines.

Revenue from so-called client-server software has grown to $1 billion from zero four years ago, Mr. Wang said.

His goal is to have 50 percent of sales from the slower-growing mainframe software market and the 50 percent from client-server software.

PMS is often divided amongst desktop-only software, client-server software, or Internet-based software.

But it was Mr. Landry's understanding of enterprise-wide, collaborative computing and the emerging importance of client-server software that piqued Mr. Manzi's interest.